for exploring all the hats women wear

A Beautiful Word

Like apples of gold in settings of silver, is a fit word, aptly spoken.” Proverbs

We have begun a new series in my church called What Is Beauty? and I am excited to blog some thoughts about what The Lord is teaching me through it. Rather than approach this as inner vs. outer beauty, I’d like to lift our thoughts higher. To the beauty that makes us beautiful. And as a lover of words, today I am starting with a beautiful word.

God has spoken many beautiful words into my life. Part of what makes a word beautiful to the hearer is timing. There are moments when the right word can transcend circumstance and transform character, if it is received.

God spoke to peace to me when my firstborn was diagnosed with permanent nerve damage in his right leg. He was a baby, only 8 months old. I was a baby, only 22 years old. I was heartbroken, afraid and felt ashamed of my own emotions, because as the pediatric neurologist pointed out, “many children have it so much worse.” Yet that word, meant to give me perspective brought me no comfort. I really didn’t care in that moment about how much worse it could be. And then, through an old verse memorized many years before that moment, God spoke peace into my spirit. I knew, it was in His plan and His love for my boy was far greater than anything I could claim. I knew He had watched His own son suffer pain in this world so He could understand my heartbreak. And I knew it would be okay. Not that his leg would be healed but that it would be used in his life for good.

God spoke promise to me when I was 26 and my marriage fell apart. I was broken hearted again. I was rejected. I was betrayed. And this time through a worship song, Shout to The Lord, God spoke promise. At the time we sang this song many Sundays, which were particularly lonely. I had so many precious friends in my church family, but I still felt the sting of my undesired singleness every week. One morning as we ended our service with this song, I felt the words “nothing compares to the promise I have in you” well up in me. Suddenly I knew, it was true. No promise broken to me in this life will ever compare to the promise kept for me in Christ. He will never leave or forsake me. He is my Rock, my ever present help. And I knew I would heal inside through that promise.

The most beautiful word I have ever heard however is grace. And I will be totally honest and tell you I am still being transformed by the word today. I listened to it many years, but I finally heard it shortly after I heard promise. Grace means undeserved love. Everywhere I experience it I am changed. Every time I express it I am changed.

So what about you? What are the beautiful words you have received? And if you want to join the conversation just use the hashtag #whatisbeauty on Facebook, Instagram or twitter.